Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-01-13
TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF.

sOnNJN0 OvEn n I'VE" LENT
The Season Of spasmodic Effort Is Upo,
G-Lct Each Day He Considered An
other Opportunity for Improvement.
The first day of January has beer
process known as turning over new
Deaf" The close Of one year and tn
beginning of another naturally sus
Eests this to 4 person whose cOnscienc,
hns not become case-hardened. The
mental review of the old year is not !:
pleasant thing to most of us. Will
startling accuracy memory reproduce:
the thousand-and-Onc things that w
ought to have done but have left un.
done, and the even larger number OF
things that we have done but ought moi
to have done. The result of such retro.
spection is a spasm of virtue. We say
To ourselves: Go to. now, this year shall
be different from the last" If we are
very inexperienced in this sort OF
thing we get big sheet of foolscap
paper and write out formidable list OF
good resolutions. and sign our name
with a flourish. Then we experience
the comfortable glow Of self-approval
that usually follows the performance of
a good deed. We have begun the New
Year in the right way.
Pity it is that SO promising begin
ming should have Il sequel that is both
.indicrous and pathetic. For few DAYS
or weeks the endeavor to keep those
good resolutions is made. brayely at
first. then falteringly. and at length
E'ere is a total collapse. The more
honestly the attempt has been made
tho more disastrous usually is the
failure. Encouragement and careless
ness follow rs a matter of course. and
the last state of the resOlutiOn-maker is
likely To be worse than his first. Happy
are those who turn over Il new leaf with
So much energy of good intention if
that new leaf does not prove to be
worse than the one preceding.
The appointment of Il week for spe-
ci..l rcli gious services at the beginning
Of the year is. to church life. not unlike
the Individual experience we have de-
scribcd. 1t seldom fails to produce a
temporary glow of feeling. 4 spasm of
eligious activity. 1t seldom secures
an equable and constant religious life
during the whole year. The fever is
followed by a chill. revivals are sue
.ceeded by periods of declension and
backsliding. One day we are on the
moRn.ain-tops. and can get blessed
glimrscs of the promised land; the next
we are back in the desert, toilino
through the sands and parched by the
burning heat.
Docs not the experience Of us all con-
firm the teaching of Scripture that
growth is the ideal of the Christian
life? But when we study nature
we see that growth is never spas
modic. There are no great leaps
in physical or mental development.
What may seem sa-the bursting of I,
flower into bloom, the butterfly issuing
from his chrysalis-is seen on closer
study to have been carefully prepared
by n long series of events. There are,
in natures processes. times of unusual
rapidity of development and times wher
growth appears to be stationary. but
these occur according to principles thai
are unvarying. Even rapidity Of
progress has nothing spasmOdic abou,
1t, is not unhealthy. and is followed b,
no paralysis of reaction. Is there M
lesson for the spiritual life in thcs,
things? Why should we expect t.
make transformation of character il
the twinkling of an eye. by the simple
process of making few good resolu
lions? The power of habit. whether TO
goed or evil, is too good to be thu
broken.
Turning over a new leaf is goo,
thing in itself. But why should tn
process be considered so peculiarly APP
propriate for the New Year? Ever
day is fresh opportunity for maxim!
"a advance over the past. A gOO'
resolution. if it have ANY efficacy. is q
powerful in July rs in January. Tn
conquest over self is noble victor
whenever achieved. Deeds of mere
and brotherly kindness are fragrant il
every season. To love God with all tn
heart and our neighbor rs ourselves is
.dnty FIR whose performance we nee
ssait for no set time. Have We ut an
tim. failed to conform our lives to tn
pattern miyen us by him whom we pro
i : .- follow? Then. when the cor
.sc.ousness of this fact is keen and on
repentance is genuine, is the time fo
the new leaf. So shall we '.grow i
grace and in the knowledge of our Lor
Jesus Christ" So in us shall the low
of God be perfected. \. Examine,
The Secret Of Peace.